On December 5th (Thurs), Zhang and Coach Uemura visited Naniwa Juvenile Detention Center in Ibaraki City.
This activity, sponsored by the Ibaraki Rose Lions Club, has been running since 2009 to help the boys reintegrate into society by communicating with them through soccer and question-and-answer sessions about the struggles and setbacks they faced on the way to becoming a professional soccer player, as well as the mindset required for a professional soccer player.
In July , the Minister of Justice presented us with a letter of appreciation in recognition of our long-standing activities as part of the "Brighter Society Movement."

During the visit to the juvenile prison, the players played ball around, had a penalty shootout with Zhang, and played a mini-game, focusing on teamwork and caring for their teammates through soccer.

During the question and answer session, in response to the question, "What do you keep in mind when bringing a team together?", he shared his experience, saying, "I try to put myself in the other person's shoes, think about each play or mistake that happens at that moment, and then offer my opinions and advice."
Many of the comments written by the students after the visit included comments about "thinking about things from the perspective of others," which shows that the purpose of this activity has been achieved in addition to what was communicated through play.
GAMBA OSAKA hopes that this activity will help the current students to reintegrate into society.

Thank you to Naniwa Juvenile Detention Center and Ibaraki Rose Lions Club for your efforts in organizing this event again this year.
GAMBA OSAKA will continue to actively work to promote the healthy development of young people.